A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions

this book by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux is refreshing. The funniest chapter was on "Knees." Too short of shorts with butt cheeks showing is considered vulgar. I jump to the conclusion too short of skirts worn with stilettos in the daytime would be considered by Madame Dariaux vulgar, too. I've made a few fashion gaffes in my lifetime, but not one exposing my butt cheeks during the day (or night) at work.I'm sure young ladies today might think this book is terribly outdated, but it's just what I needed to read. After having lost a substantial amount of weight through a lifestyle change in diet, I realized if I were called to an evening social event, I have nothing in my closet to wear that fits! I decided to seek out fashion ideas, and I stumbled across this book on Amazon. I found many of the comments intriguing, so I bought "A Guide to Elegance", read it -- and glad I did.With the advice in this book, I think I have found the perfect ensemble to wear if I need to go to a semi-formal evening event. Dariaux offers tips on color combinations, neck and hemlines, jewelry (both real and costume), and types and color of shoes to wear with what outfits. I found her advice extraordinarily helpful and enlightening. Keep in mind the author is discussing elegance and eschews following the latest fashion trends. Fashion trends and fads tend to detract from elegance.I learned a great deal from reading this book. I did not know the history of the wedge shoe. If you don't know, you'll be surprised to learn the where and why of the invention of this classless, shoe style.Granted the book was written in a past era. I am not acquainted with women today who have a vibrant social life of going out to events every evening. Most women I know are struggling to keep balance with both job/career and home life. I don't live in the city and go out to the country for week-long visits, so that part of the book was old-fashioned. But I did enjoy reading the contrast of what to wear in the city compared to the country, and what hour of the evening to wear what type of dress and so on.If you need to revisit what proper dress might be for any occasion, this book will help sort out the do's and don't's. It is a guide to elegance, which truly never goes out of style. What the world needs now is elegance.

If a book can ever be said to "personify" a certain quality, this lovely treasure in Tiffany blue fits the description. In this case, do not judge the weightiness of the author's perceptiveness by the size of the book. Its portability adds to the book's charm. It can be unobstrusively carried in your purse so that you can have a quiet read in the midst of your chaotic day and be transported to Mme. Dariaux's world of grace and elegance.In droll, wise prose the author lists many aspects of elegance in alphabetical order. She covers the basics of carefully and optimally selecting fabrics, clothing staples and accessories to build an wardrobe that will carry you through different occasions. As the book was originally written in the '60's this advice needs to be adhered to in spirit and modified to fit modern women who in general have more complex lives.Mme.Dariaux does not limit her attention to the selection and care of attire. Scattered throughout the book are thoughfully presented tips that helps one carry over a mantle of elegance to other areas of one's life. Indeed, "elegance" is a lifestyle ideal for the author and she gently but firmly chides the reader to integrate it into all aspects of her existence. Admittedly this is a difficult aspiration in today's rude, tacky, hurried world, but upon reading this book you will see glimpses of the serene loveliness of such a life.

though the tips are classic and practical, however i cant imagine it to be applied in tropical countries. No one can bear to wear black or wool dresses all the time. The author is french so obviously the tips are based on her "french" point of view. The tips are so classic and somehow could fall into boring category. I like some of the tips such as you have to match all the trinkets in your bag and invest on something classic though expensive at your prosperous time. The color tips are great too. Overall its great if you live in four season countries.Edit: next time i review a book i should live by it at least for a few years in order to have better judgement. I gave this book 4 stars initially, however after gone through maternity, quitting a job, moving to different countries, and now I am a stay at home mom, the book is here to stay. I always go back to this again and again everytime I have questions about my next purchase in regards clothes, jewelry, bags, shoes and even matching colors in my wardrobe, for some odd reasons this book has all the answers. Good answers that is. This book helps me eliminate anything that doesnt improve my appearance, and guide me to find my own style without realizing it. I no longer pay too much attention to trends and who is wearing what. This book is a classic. And Madame Dariaux's advice doesnt require a lot of money. We only need to be discipline and thoughtful in making purchase decision. My favorite subject is Prosperity, when we have extra cash she recommends to buy a few high quality handbags, a few pieces of good jewellery, a gold compact and a lovely umbrella. As funny as it sounds, how many times I see women with expensive clothes or bags holding an ill looked umbrella. When it rains, the first thing people will see is your umbrella, barely they can make it into your outfit when the rain pouring down heavily. I wish i read this advice before, I could buy myself Hermes or VCA instead of some random items that I wish I could return.